Free Agent Wish List

[mdccclxix]

THE BP FIRST TAKE
With C.J. Wilson and Mark Buehrle now gone, the free agent market for starting pitchers is low on upside and high on risk. It got a small boost on Monday night, when the Diamondbacks non-tendered Joe Saunders to avoid paying him roughly $8 million in arbitration, but the pickings remain slim.

Nonetheless, one pitcher in particular is strangely being overlooked. When Saunders became a free agent, rumors immediately spread suggesting that multiple teams—including the Red Sox (http://twitter.com/#!/JimBowdenESPNx...8)—would have interest. Yet there is another lefty still on the market who is both younger and more effective than Saunders: Paul Maholm.

The 29-year-old Maholm will never contend for a Cy Young award, but in a rapidly thinning market, he deserves far more attention than he’s received.
Maholm’s 6-14 record jumps off the stat-sheet first, but his career-best 3.75 FIP from last season is far more important, and he was worth 2.0 WARP compared to Saunders’ 1.3.

With a fastball that sits in the 86-88 m.p.h. range and only one strong offspeed offering (a slider), Maholm won’t miss many bats. But he makes up for that by keeping his walk rate below 3.00 per nine innings, and inducing plenty of groundballs to keep his home run rate down. Though he missed the last month and a half of the 2011 season with a shoulder strain, Maholm had no prior history of arm trouble and was cleared for workouts in late October (http://twitter.com/#!/Maholm28/statu...09181887127552).

A significant portion of Maholm’s struggles can be attributed to the Pirates’
inability to convert balls put in play against him into outs. Pittsburgh has ranked in the bottom third of the league in defensive efficiency in each of the last three seasons, bloating Maholm’s BABIP over .325 in 2009 and 2010.
Conversely, Saunders benefited from a strong Arizona defense this past season, logging a .271 BABIP that’s well below his career mark of .289.

Maholm is by no means an ace, but he has the potential to be an effective No.
3 or No. 4 starter on a contender with solid gloves, particularly in the infield. Assuming his shoulder is healthy, as reported, Maholm can be counted on for at least 180 league average innings.

In a market where quality pitchers are hard to find, Maholm—who is likely to settle for a short-term deal even though he is still in his prime—could be a diamond in the rough.

Anybody think this guy could help?

If nothing else, throwing your name in the hat for some FA's may make some of the trading partners feel less secure.

[RedLegSuperStar]

I think both would help

[Benihana]

My FA Wish List (same as it was a month ago):

1. Carlos Beltran
2. Hiroki Kuroda
3. Paul Maholm

The one guy who signed that I wished we would've went after was Erik Bedard, especially for $4.5M

[lollipopcurve]

Still on the Cespedes bandwagon.

[RedLegSuperStar]

Call me crazy but id rather go with what we have rather then sign a free agent OFer. If we are trading that's a different subject but Beltran seems like an aged vet with a history of injuries. Heisey could provide comparable numbers given the playing time.

Mahalom or Saunders would be solid pick ups just not top of the rotation guys like we constantly hear Walt talk about.

[mth123]

1. Hiroki Kuroda
2. Edwin Jackson
3. Joe Saunders
4. Roy Oswalt

Nobody else unless the Reds deal some one, then maybe somebody as a replacement if need be.

[Vottomatic]

I still feel we need 2 more quality starting pitchers.

Cueto
Leake
Arroyo isn't going anywhere
?
?

Include Homer in the trade that brings a quality starter.

I'd overpay for Kuroda for 2 years. IMHO, he's worth it. And I think to pry him off the west coast, the Reds WOULD have to overpay him. In fact, because of GABP's prolific HR rate, I think the Reds have to overpay any quality FA starting pitcher to come pitch at GABP.

I've thought about Maholm, because of his solid e.r.a. But his sub-90 mph fastball concerns me. If he really only has a fastball and slider, and the fastball isn't fast, how does he get people out? Seems like Homer has better stuff, but Maholm had better numbers.........and it doesn't make much sense.

The Reds can't exactly be choosy if other teams aren't willing to trade for a fair return. Reds may have to entertain some of these free agents.

[RedLegSuperStar]

I still feel we need 2 more quality starting pitchers.

Cueto
Leake
Arroyo isn't going anywhere
?
?

Include Homer in the trade that brings a quality starter.

I'd overpay for Kuroda for 2 years. IMHO, he's worth it. And I think to pry him off the west coast, the Reds WOULD have to overpay him. In fact, because of GABP's prolific HR rate, I think the Reds have to overpay any quality FA starting pitcher to come pitch at GABP.

I've thought about Maholm, because of his solid e.r.a. But his sub-90 mph fastball concerns me. If he really only has a fastball and slider, and the fastball isn't fast, how does he get people out? Seems like Homer has better stuff, but Maholm had better numbers.........and it doesn't make much sense.

The Reds can't exactly be choosy if other teams aren't willing to trade for a fair return. Reds may have to entertain some of these free agents.

So you have Cueto, Leake, & Arroyo and listed Bailey but what about Wood, Volquez, & Chapman? That's a lot of Starting Pitchers for a ball club. Granted Chapman might not be in the rotation but that has always been the plan with him.

If you can't get a front of the rotation guy like a Shields or Kershaw (who at one time was out their in the rumor mill) then you focus on LF and SS. This team has prospects at its disposal and should use them to obtain their needs. This club has a huge opportunity to regain the Central Division and should take this opportunity to capitalize on that. Brewers might be without Prince and Braun; Cards are without Pujols; and frankly the Cubs are the Cubs.. They could have all three of those players and find ways to lose. The Reds should be trying to fill the GABP seats and obtain some talent for once.

I hate to say it but Frazier, Sappelt, Heisey, Alonso, Grandal, & Francisco all are not going to be everyday starters so why continuously hang on to them so that their value never peaks as high as it might be now. Walt's supposed to be this master mind but witnessed this club go from winning the division to not even hitting .500. It's pathetic being a Reds fan when this club preaches about winning but does nothing to win.